Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-03-17
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
It's Origin, and Changes in It's OBJ.
Servance.

servance.
mother, look at these valentines:
aren't they prettyP" said little Grace
Wilcox, one evening toward the middle
of February, as she placed handful
of light, gauzy, variously-colored cards
in her mothers lap.
''Mine are the handsomest, declared
her brother Dura; ''see if they amt.
Girls always choose such dish-washy
thingsp'
Mrs. Wilcox laid down her magazine,
and, taking the valentines, looked them
over carefully. She smiled gravely at
the gay-colored, ridiculous caricatures
of Dura's; evidently Grace's pretty
trifes pleased her best.
But Dura did not observe his mothers
look. There, that one," he said,
pointing to an atrociously comical pict-
ure representing donkey braying,
and man sitting astride its back, with
big, crooked nose and wall eyes, sing
ing 10 girl at a neighboring window:
II sing to you, my valentine,
The love l feel for YOU
My donkey feeds on dew,
But can't make this rhyme"
"That / am going to send to Johnny
Rand. You know he's cross-eyed, and
has got big nose, and that will just
make him tearing"
"Dura, you must not do any such
thing" said his mother, very decided
ly. "As bit of fun, a harmless joke
between good friends, nothing need be
said against valentines; but to send
these anonymously to an enemy, or to
any extremely sensitive person may do
much mischief. Johnny is not to
blame for his eyes and irregular feat
ures, and your doggerel valentine
would assuredly hurt his feelings"
"Well, won't then; l will send it
instead to poor little Jessie Caldmon,
the Irish girl; she will think it nice
enough"
"Those are horrid-looking pictures,
Dura," observed his mother, handing
the collection back to him. "They
are not much like the valentines they
used to send to one another in good Mr..
Pepys' day."
"Oh, tell us about it, mother" plead
ed Grace. "When was thatP Did the
boys and girls back, oh. ever so long
ago, choose valentines, toop'
"The custom of sending valentines is
as old as the hills" answered Mrs. Will
cox, "and at one time it was fashion
able for older persons, the married as
well as single, to buy presents for val
entines. Some of these presents were
very costly ones. Pieces of jewelry
costing thousands of dollars were not
unusual, though cheaper things like
gloves, stockings and sweetmeats were
more common. This Mr.. Pepys, ]
mentioned, was gentleman who lived
more than two hundred years ago, in
the time of Charles II. of England, and
kept an interesting diary. He speaks
of many of the curious customs of the
day, and tells us one time how he sem
his wife stockings and garters for hel
valentine. One year he says his wife
CHANGED to be his valentine, anC
grumhles because it win cost him fiv,
pounds, which was good deal .
money in those days. At another time
he gave her Turkey stone set with
diamonds for n valentino
''But perhaps you would like best wha
he has to say about valentines in an
other place." Mrs. Wilcox reached fol
a book in an open case and turned som,
of the leaves. "Yes, here it is: Il fine
that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my val
entine, she having drawn me, which
was not sorry for, it easing me of some
thing more than must have given t.
others. But here do first observe tn,
fashion of drawing notices as well a
name, so that Pierce, who drew m,
wife, did also draw motto, and thi
girl drew another for me. What min,
was forgot, but my wife's was: "Mos
courteous and most fair!" which, as i
may be used as an anagram upon eacl
name, might be very pretty"
"Oh, how funnyl" exclaimed Dura
"but l believe 1 wouldn't just like t.
be drawn as in lottery; I'd rattle
choose my own valentine"
THAT was an old English fashion
The young folks were in the habit oil
the eve of st. Valentines Day of meet
ing together, and an equal number o
girls and boys would write their tru
or feigned name upon separate billet
which they rolled up and drew by lot
the girls taking the boys billets, an
the boys those of the girls, so that eac
of the boys lighted upon a girl that h
called his valentine, and each of tn
girls upon lad whom she called hers
After this the valentines gave balls an
treats to their partners, and wore thei
billets several days upon their breast
and sleeves"
s.Who sent the first valentines,
wonder?" asked Grace, land hav
they always kept St. Valentines DayP
'sSt Valentines Day looks out at
from the dim shadow of the temples @
Rome" answered Mrs. Wilcox. IAN
the customs of the day, like many othe
customs, some of which are sacred {